Astral
by PrinceLeon78
Summary: A boy, Another world, A kingdom, and An impending war. Welcome to Astral.
1. Prelude

A/N: Hello all Fanficition users. This is Princeleon78 saying...well, hello. This story has been up here before, but I took it down. Why? Because I didn't like how it read and it needed some major changes and a good rebuff. So I changed it up and here we are! There are many different anime influences for this story, but the main two are D. and Bleach. The storyline is original and this story will contain Original Characters as well as some Copyrighted Characters (I'll do disclaimers when they show up). This is still my first story, so please read and review. Your feedback helps make me a better writer. So now without further ado, let's start.

A long time ago...

When Earth was formed...

Another world was created alongside it...

This world was known as the Astral Realm...

These two worlds existed side by side...

Never touching each other's borders...

In the Astral Realm, Two Masters were born...

Destined to rule and lead the people...

They were known as Light and Dark...

They governed the people of the Realm...

Until Dark wanted more...

He began lusting for Power...

For Control...

Light saw his best friend starting to become a slave to his desires...

Dark eventually split from Light, taking half of the Realm with him...

He created the kingdom of Nexos and sought to gain control of the rest of the Realm...

Light was able to counter Dark's conquest...

He created his own kingdom...

The kingdom of Illumina...

The two armies and their commanders fought fiercely...

But in the end, Light conquered Dark...

Ever since that war, the 1st war of the Astral Realm...

Their descendants continue to fight one another...

Two Princes, one from both kingdoms...

Battle one another for the chance to become King...

King of the Astral Realm...


	2. Chapter 1

ASTRAL

_Chapter 1- The 13th Birthday_

_When his eyes opened, he was inside of a void. Nothing was there but Darkness. Darkness above him. Darkness below him. Darkness all around him. He looked around and stared into the Darkness ahead of him. A mixture of confusion and fear was the expression on his face._

_What...is this? Why am I here?_

_These thoughts echoed in his brain. But as much as he wished it, he couldn't come to an answer. So finally he decided to voice what was on his mind._

_"H-Hello? Is anyone here?"_

_His tone was shaky and held no confidence. Suddenly, as if to answer his question, a figure appeared. He wore a light blue hooded cloak. The hood was up, so the boy couldn't make out a face. His expression changed when he saw that he was no longer the only one in this void._

_"Uh, Hello? Who are you?"_

_The figure didn't speak, but he started to walk toward him. The footsteps echoed throughout the void as he came closer. Suddenly, the figure broke out into a sprint. He was still headed for the boy. He didn't know what was going on, but fear started to quickly well up inside him._

_"Hey...what's-"_

_His eyes quickly darted down and saw a blade. It seems that the figure was holding onto a sword. When he looked back up, the figure was upon him. He brought the blade up high and swung it down with the soul intent of crushing him. The boy threw his hands up and cowered, but much to his surprise the attack was blocked. By his own weapon. The figure jumped back with a surprised posture. The boy looked up and saw the weapon in front of him. It was a black lance with a golden blade. He took the weapon and a large amount of courage arose from within him. He then charged at the figure, who was still surprised by what was going on._

Then he tripped, landed on his face, and the dream was over.

"Ouch!" cried Aaron. "That really hurt!"

He looked around but it turns out that the void and the figure were just a dream. He was now safe and sound in his bedroom. He stood up and rubbed the back of head.

"That was bizarre."

That's when his door opened and a woman with long, brown hair entered his room with a homemade cake.

"Happy Birthday, Aaron!" she said while giving him a kiss on his forehead.

"Thanks, Mom." he replied. He took a good whiff of the cake and fell in love with its heavenly scent. He realized that he was going to be late for school if he stayed too long.

"Alright. Time to get ready." he said aloud, talking to no one in particular. His mother left and allowed him to get ready. A few minutes later, he was downstairs wearing his school uniform and enjoying breakfast with his family. When he was finished, he cleared his spot, grabbed his bag and was saying his goodbyes.

"Alright, I'm gone, Mom, Dad."

"Have a good day, Aaron!"

"Bye, Aaron!"

The last voice came from his 10-year-old sister, Anna. He smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, see ya later."

He walked out the door and took a breath of fresh air. The sun was out and the sky was a perfect blue. It seemed that his birthday was shaping up to be the perfect day. He walked down the sidewalk and pulled out his skateboard. He then took off for the school. As he rode on, he checked his watch and grimaced a little.

"Bah, I need a faster way."

Almost as if on cue, a black limousine pulled over alongside him. Aaron stopped skating and watched as the limo passed him up and stopped when he came to the last window. It rolled down and a boy with green hair and hazel eyes poked his head out. He pushed his glasses up and smirked at him.

"Well? Are you gonna stand there gawkin', or are we gonna hit the road before the bell rings?"

Aaron smiled at his friend and joined him inside the limo. Aaron's friend was Jack Stone. He's the heir to a multimillion dollar company, so he's a part of the wealthy district. He used to be very spoiled and snobbish, but he was picked on and used a lot as child by the less-privileged children because of it. This experience changed his attitude toward people. Jack and Aaron crossed paths four years ago, and the two have been best friends since then. Aaron rubbed his head and smiled at his friend.

"Thanks for the save, Jack."

Jack grinned and waved his hand in his friend.

"No problem, Pal. That's what friends are for." he replied. "Now, I'm sure it's somebody's b-day today?"

Aaron chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah. It's been pretty good so far."

"Well," Jack started. "just you wait until you see what I got ya. Trust me, you'll be blown away."

Aaron nodded and the two began engaging in a conversation. The boys drove through a scenic route on their way to school. They passed by the busy marketplace and saw all sorts of different vehicles on the street. Soon the limo stopped right at the school gates. They exited the vehicle and went through the gates and onto the courtyard. They walked through the courtyard to their first class, which was American Government. They entered the classroom and it was abuzz with the normal pre-class chatter. The two boys walked to their desks and sat down. Aaron sat behind Jack and to his left was one of the most prettiest girls in school. She had long, brown hair that was pulled up and held tightly with a pink bow. She had deep brown eyes and a dazzling smile. She's a huge socialite as well as being on of the leaders on "Fashion". This was Risa Harada. Aaron never really talked to her that much, if at all. It was just one of the perks that he had with his seat assignment. To his right, there sat a boy with spiky, red hair and red eyes. Aaron didn't know his name, but he was always gazing at Risa from across the way. Aaron felt a little awkward with being in the vicinity of these feelings, but it couldn't be helped. Soon, their teacher arrived and class had started like normal.

Once class was over, the boys gathered up their things and headed for Geometry. As they were walking, a female voice caught their attention.

"Aaron! Jack! Hold up!"

The two boys turned around and saw a girl running up to them. She had blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail and blue eyes. She had a oil stain on her face and had the unusual blend of perfume and gasoline on her. Aaron smiled at her.

"Hey, Monica. What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing much," she replied. "Sorry for the smell. Auto Shop ran longer than normal."

Jack chuckled as he examined her.

"Man, you're a real gear head."

She shot him a death glare and quieted down. She looked back at Aaron and smiled.

"So Happy Birthday, Aaron. I'm still working on your present, but you'll love it. Trust me."

"Great.", he replied. "that makes two presents that I know I'm gonna love. C'mon, geometry's waiting."

The two friends nodded and walked with him to the class. Outside on the roof of one of the buildings, two cloaked figures watched Aaron as he walked to class. One sat on the roof while the other was laying down.

"I'm hungry." she said.

"Go get something then." the other figure replied. She stood up and was about to jump off the roof when she looked at her partner.

"What time will he awaken again?"

The figure pulled out an ancient clock and read it.

"12:00 Midnight."

The girl smiled at the news. "This will be our first reunion in thirteen years! I'm way pumped!"

She then hopped off the roof for food. Her partner looked up at the blue sky and thought to himself.

_As am I. I just hope we're not too late..._

**A/N: Alright, that's the first chapter. I feel that this sets the stage for an epic story. But that's just me. So please read and review. It's the little comment bubble right below this thing. See ya on Chapter 2.**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey people. Princeleon here. I just have to say that I am impressed at how well Astral is doing. I only had the Prologue and Chapter 1 up which have 46 hits! (Super Excited ^_^). So I thank those that have taken the time to read my material. But I still need at least a review. So please R and R. I would really appreciate it.**

_Chapter 2_- Reunion

The rest of Aaron's day proceeded as it normally would. He and his friends went to their various classes, regrouped together at lunch, and ended the school day altogether. When Aaron walked out of the building, Jack was waiting for him by the school gates.

"C'mon, man. I'll give ya a lift."

Aaron shook his head and declined the offer.

"Thanks, Jack. But I'll walk home. You go on ahead."

"You sure about that? It is your birthday an all."

Aaron reassured him and he nodded.

"Alrighty then. See ya tomorrow."

He opened the door to his limo and pulled off after giving Aaron a wave goodbye. Aaron watched him go until he disappeared down the street. He took a breath of fresh air and started walking home. As he walked, his thoughts started to drift to the dream he had this morning.

_I wonder what that was all about. I've had plenty of bizarre dreams before, but that was just plain weird._

As he continued mulling over his dream, he failed to pay attention to where he was walking and bumped into someone. He looked up as he passed the person and turned around to apologize.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Aaron said. "I didn't mean to run into you."

The person didn't speak. When Aaron fully faced him, his eyes widened. In front of him was a man wearing a blue hooded cloak with the hood up. The exact image from his dream.

_What the hell?_

He closed his eyes to blink but as soon as he opened them, the figure was gone. Vanished without a trace. Aaron rubbed his eyes and placed a hand over his rapidly-beating heart.

_Oh man. That was close. Where in the hell did that come from?_

He shook off his thoughts and continued home at a faster pace. When he arrived home, his parents were waiting for him.

"Hello, Aaron," His father said. "How was school?"

Aaron smiled at his father as he closed the door.

"School was alright. Hey, where's Mom and Ann?"

"Well, your mother's upstairs and Anna's on her way back from school. When she gets in, we're all going out to dinner to celebrate your birthday."

His father smiled and playfully punched his son in the shoulder.

"13 years old, huh? You're practically a teenager."

Aaron smiled and nodded to his dad. He went upstairs to change and get ready, but he stopped when he got halfway.

"Hey dad, could I have a party tomorrow?"

His father nodded his head.

"Sure. That sounds like a good present."

He smiles and goes upstairs. He changes out of his uniform and throws on a pair of jeans with a nice button-up shirt. He walks out of his room and sees his parents and his sister downstairs.

"On my way down!"

Anna smiled and crossed her arms.

"Well hurry up, Birthday boy. I'm starving."

He smiled and gave his room one last look before shutting off the lights and closing the door. He walked down the stairs and he and his family left out for the restaurant. It was a fancy italian place downtown. They sat and ate dinner while interacting like any other family. Aaron got to order his favorite desert, and the restaurant staff along with his family sang him Happy Birthday. All in all, he had a good time. They arrived back to at their home around 10:00 PM. Aaron walked in with yawn when he realized something. He still had homework to do. He sighed and headed upstairs while waving to everyone.

"Alright, I'm getting some sleep. Night, everyone."

They all replied to him as he entered his room. He took out his homework and got started. 30 minutes later, he was finished. He left his room for a quick shower. When he came back, he put away his things back into his school bag and cut off the light. He was excited for tomorrow and needed all of his energy. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Later that night, at 11:00 PM, two hooded figures had entered Aaron's room. The boy was sound asleep, so he didn't hear them enter. These two were the same figures that were watching him while he was at school. The girl walked over to his bed and pointed at him.

"Aww! He's so adorable when he's sleeping."

Her partner didn't respond. He simply watched Aaron sleep while the minutes ticked by.

At 11:45 PM, the boy's body began to glow a soft white. The two figures had passed the time examining the things in his room. They were very much interested in his things, almost as if they had never seen them before. The girl had caught sight of the glowing light and looked up. Her partner spoke up before she could.

"Relax. He'll be here soon."

She nodded and they continued to watch him.

At 11:55 PM, the glow became brighter and brighter. Both figures stood and watched as Aaron tossed and turned, undisturbed by whatever was going in his room. All that was left was for midnight to come. The male pulled out his ancient clock and waited with his colleague.

At 11:59 PM, the girl was counting down the seconds until midnight.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1!"

Suddenly, the glowing bright light had peaked to its brightest form. Both figures shielded their eyes as an aura engulfed Aaron's body. The aura then seemed to gather and form a second Aaron. More like a spirit version of him. This Aaron, still asleep like his body, was gently placed over to the side of his bed...and fell on the floor.

"Oww!" he yelled. He was a bit delirious from being waken from his sleep like that. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he stood up.

"I have got to stop sleeping so wildly. Almost gave myself a concussion."

He pulled back his covers and was about to get back into bed when he paused. He looked over and saw himself still sleeping his bed.

"What the?"

He reached over and touched the nose. When felt that it was solid, he jumped back. He was confused by what exactly was going.

"I...I don't get it. If I'm here, then who's that in my bed?"

He didn't have long to ponder this because soon the girl leapt for him and held him in a tight embrace.

"Oh Prince Leon! Thank goodness you've been alright for these 13 long years! Are you well? Have you been eating right?"

She then noticed that Aaron had not been responding to any of these questions. She looked down and saw that she was suffocating him. She let him go and watched as he stumbled back with a flustered look on his face.

"What...the hell!"

The girl folded her arms and waved her figure.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Language, Prince."

Aaron was about to say something else when the second figure came into his view. He quickly backed up into his desk and grabbed his lamp. He pointed it at the both of them.

"Okay. Who are you guys, and what are you doing in my house?"

Both of the figures exchanged glances and nodded. They took of their cloaks and gave Aaron a salute.

"I'm Felicia Amino, Captain of the Valkyrie Knights."

"I'm Rue Midou, Captain of the Royal Knight."

"And we are your assigned guardians, Prince Leon!"

Aaron was bit startled by their energy, but he examined while they spoke. The one called Felicia had light purple hair and violet eyes. Her hair seemed to be of medium length, stopping short of her neck. Her bangs were parted, so he could see her face. She gave him a warm smile, so he felt no ill intent from her. His eyes went to over examine her partner, Rue. The man had green hair and yellow eyes. His hair too was medium length, from what Aaron saw. He glanced at them more before lowering his lamp. He didn't who they were or what they were after, but for some odd reason he felt safe around them. He put the lamp down and spoke.

"Look, I don't know what you guys are looking for, but it's not here. So please get out of my room. I need to wake up from this dream."

Felicia giggled and stepped forward a little.

"We've been looking for you, Prince Leon."

"Yes," Rue added. "and this is no dream."

Aaron was now confused. He went say something, but kept quiet. Then he formulated his question.

"Wait a sec, why do you keep calling me "Prince Leon"? And whatdaya mean this isn't a dream?"

Felicia and Rue exchanged glances as the room got quiet.

"You," Rue began. "you...don't remember us do you, Prince?"

Aaron shook his head and rubbed it.

"Of course not. I think I would remember you guys if I'd met you."

The two guardians exchanged words without Aaron listening. Soon, Rue returned and looked at Aaron.

"Alright, Prince Leon. You're coming with us."

"Huh? W-w-wait a sec-"

Rue didn't give time for Aaron to speak. He pulled out a ring from his pocket and pointed it at an empty space in the room.

"**GATE TO THE ASTRAL REALM, OPEN!**"

As Rue commanded, a pair of golden gates appeared in Aaron's room. They opened up and a shining light came through. Felicia looked at Aaron with a smile.

"Time to go, Prince."

She quickly grabbed his hand and marched toward the gate with Rue brining up the rear. Aaron was baffled by what was going on.

"W-wait! What are you doing? Help! Someone help me!"

His screams and pleas fell on deaf ears as the gates closed. The shining light inside became too much for Aaron and he blacked out while Rue and Felicia traveled on.

**A/N: Well that's it for chapter 2. Sorry that this one took so long to complete. I've been busy with other things, plus I had a terrible sore throat for a few days. But I do hope that you guys enjoy this chapter. I personally think that I did well with writing a comedic scene and my describing of the characters. But I would enjoy it even more if you guys reviewed it as well. So R and R and I'll see you on Chapter 3.**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone. Prince Leon here. So I do apologize for not releasing any new chapters of Astral lately. School's been taking up much of my time as well as other things. But I am happy for the continued support of the story. I've been following it everyday, and I'm stunned that my number of Hits spiked from 41 to 127. But Pwease Review as well! Your feedback helps make me a better writer, honest. I've already had one person write me a review, so here's a public Thank You to Kitsune'sBlackBloodRose. ^_^ Before continuing, I just thought that I should go ahead with the Disclaimers.**

**Disclaimers**

**I do not own D N Angel**

**Any and all Bleach Terminology belongs to the creator, Tite Kubo**

**Any and all Full Metal Alchemist references belong to the creator(s)**

**Any and all Yu-Gi-Oh! references belong to Konami**

**Any and all Final Fantasy Terminology belongs to Square-Enix**

**Alright, I think that's all of them. These disclaimers will stay in effect until I say otherwise. Any new elements that emerge from the story that is copyrighted material will have a disclaimer. But I did warn you guys that plenty of anime/ video game influences went into this work XD. But enough of that. I'm sure you all have been waiting for the next chapter, so here it is.**

_Chapter 3- The Astral Realm_

Darkness had once again filled Aaron's vision. His body was lifeless as he laid flat on the floor. He had been unconscious for what felt like hours. Slowly, he started to stir. He opened his eyes and blinked several times, trying to assess what happened.

_Just what happened to me in there? I remembered those people carrying me through some sort of gate. That and looking into a bright light. Then...everything went black._

He slowly sat up, giving his head a light shake. Once he was sitting up fully, he opened his eyes and was shocked by his surroundings. He was no longer in his bedroom, but he was in a bedroom that looked as if it belonged to a billionaire. The room contained a full library of books, a canopy bed which Aaron was sitting in front of, a crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling, a mirror in the corner, and a wide window that was filled with sunlight from outside. Aaron shielded his eyes from the light as he slowly got his feet. He took a good look around the room, baffled by how he got there.

"Just where did those psychos take me?" he asked to himself. It was then that he made his way over to the window. Once he got there, he was shocked at what he saw. There was nothing but trees as far as the eye could see. He looked over to the right in the northeast and saw a small village. He couldn't make out anyone down there because of the distance, but it looked inhabited. His last sight came when he stared straight ahead into the distance. There, some few thousand miles away, he could make out what looked to be another castle. Aaron's eyes widened and he took a few steps away from the window. Fear had now started to creep into the young boy's heart. He had no idea where he was and the new scenery only confused him to no end. He placed a hand on his chest when he felt a silk material on him. He looked down and saw that he wasn't wearing his T-shirt and shorts that he wore to bed, but an expensive-looking, blue, silk robe. He was baffled as to where the garment even came from.

"Wh-what the hell?"

He sped over to the mirror to get a better look at himself when he stopped. Once he was within the vicinity of the mirror, he saw that he was indeed wearing the robe. But that wasn't what caught him off guard this time. In the mirror, he saw that he no longer had his brown hair or his brown eyes. Instead, he now had blonde hair with crystal-clear blue eyes. He pulled on his new blonde locks, wincing at the pain he was feeling from pulling. No longer able to take the shock, he screamed at the top of his lungs. He fell back on his butt and started crawling backwards away from the mirror. No sooner had he screamed that his door was opened by the two guards that brought him here. They had completely ditched their cloaks, and were now wearing full suits of armor with the exception of the helm. Because of the improved lighting, Aaron could the knights much clearer than he had before. Felicia's bangs were now even over her eyes while the rest seemed to go past her neck and a little under her shoulders. Rue's hair was cleanly cut and swept to his left side, like that of a business official. Said knight stepped into the room with Felicia following him.

"Prince Leon, are you alright? What was the cause of your screaming?"

Aaron's blue eyes darted up to them, filled with fear and confusion. He scrambled to his feet and pointed at them.

"You," he began. "just where in the hell did you take me! What have you done to me!"

Felicia looked at Rue as the knight sighed. He turned to his partner and spoke.

"Seems our hypothesis was correct, Felicia."

The purplette looked to the ground with a heavy sigh.

"It looks like he's really forgotten us..."

Aaron stared at the pair with more confusion than fear. Just what did they mean by that? On top of constantly calling him "Prince Leon", they keep mentioning the fact he supposedly knew them at one point in time.

"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not here! Now, I need some answers. Just what is going on here!"

Rue and Felicia were a bit startled by how he raised his voice. The knight nodded and spoke.

"Alright, Prince," he began. "I'll fill you in on everything you need to know."

He turned back to Felicia and addressed her.

"Please get the Prince some appropriate clothes."

She nodded and walked into the room. With a snap of her finger, the wall slid to the right side of the room, revealing a plethora of outfits. She looked back at Rue with a grin.

"Which outfit, Rue?"

While Aaron was just mind-blown by the size of this closet, Rue merely waved his hand.

"Just a cotton shirt and some slacks with boots will be fine."

The girl nodded and pulled out the outfit, setting it on the bed. Rue walked over to the library and pulled out a book from its shelf.

"Get dressed, Prince. Once you're ready, we'll begin."

With that, Rue and Felicia left the room. Aaron stood looking at his new appearance in the mirror. This was the first time he was truly baffled by what was happening. If he didn't know better, he'd just dismiss it as being a dream. But all of this...was just too much to be some dream. He looked at the outfit for a moment before putting it on.

_I have to play along to find out what this is all about._

He figured that following instructions was the only way he was going to get to the bottom of this. Soon, he stood tall in his shirt and pants. He slipped on the boots and walked out of the door into a grand, larger-than-life, hallway. Intricate patterns of gold and white traced all across the walls and the tile floors. Aaron was amazed by the design of this place.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that they took me back in time a few centuries," he joked.

"Are you ready, Prince?"

He turned around to see Felicia and Rue waiting for him. He nodded and Rue spoke.

"Good. Then let us be off."

The three of them walked the hallways. Of course, Felicia and Rue were leading him around. As Aaron brought up the rear, he noticed something peculiar about Rue. His whole right arm looked to be encased in a different kind of armor than the rest of his body. On the shoulder, there was a strange insignia. The symbol in question was shield traced in gold with two swords in an "X" formation under the shield. On the shield, a lone, white wing was placed right in the middle. This same symbol was also on their capes that flowed gracefully behind them. Aaron stared at it, wondering what it was but not coming up with any answers. Soon, the party of three reached the main gates to the castle. They opened the two heavy oak doors, and the sunlight poured into the entrance. Aaron was awestricken by the sight that awaited him. The rays of the sun danced on the beautiful grass and the trees were full of life. The leaves blew in a soft breeze that caressed Aaron's face, and birds beat their wings against the blue sky. Aaron stepped outside and walked forward before looking back at the whole castle he was just in. It was a large building with five towers connected to the main center. But it was even larger inside, filled with plenty of rooms and secret passageways. Aaron's eyes drifted to Rue and Felicia as they joined him.

"Where am I?" he asked. Surprisingly enough, it was without fear or confusion. The tone of the question was curiosity. Felicia smiled and put her arm around his neck.

"This...is the Astral Realm. And behind us is the Illumina Castle."

The names resonated within Aaron. Some how, he was feeling...nostalgic about this place. But it didn't seem possible. He knew that he had never been to this place before in his life, yet it felt so familiar to him. Before he could address these feelings, Rue and Felicia were once again on the move. He followed after them and stopped when he came across a stable. Horses were kept here, like in stables on Earth. Rue and Felicia went inside and came out on top of two beautiful mares. Rue trotted over to Aaron and nodded to Felicia.

"Join Felicia on her horse."

Aaron nodded and walked over to the girl. He hadn't been on a horse in a long time. Not since he was a child going to the local Petting Zoo. Felicia giggled at his uncertainty and held out her hand.

"C'mon, Prince. We're losing Rue."

True enough, Rue had already started galloping away. Aaron nodded and gripped Felicia's hand tightly. She then pulled him onto her horse. Once he settled in, she tossed him a smile.

"Better hold on tight."

She reared the horse back and took off after her partner. Aaron, fearing for his life, wrapped his arms around Felicia's waist as the horse darted off with impressive speed. The warm wind was all that he felt against his face as his blonde hair whipped away in the breeze. He looked at the changing scenery around him, and was filled with awe and mystery. Despite being absolutely clueless, he couldn't lie and say that this place wasn't beautiful. Suddenly, Felicia started to slow down the horse. Aaron peeked over her shoulder and saw the back of Rue's head. They had caught up to him, but now where were they headed? He paid more attention and figured out the answer. They had now entered the village that Aaron saw from his window. He looked around as the villagers were going about their lives. It wasn't until a little girl saw Rue's horse did the village stop in activity. All eyes were centered on the trio as they made their way to the square. Aaron did feel a little creeped out by the amount of eyes on him, but he noticed two things as the horses continued to move. For starters, the villagers looked as if they were taken straight out of a movie about the Middle Ages. Even the village looked like it was from the medieval period. The second thing was that this village had a lot of people. More and more villagers were coming out nowhere, and suddenly began following them. Aaron quickly turned around and tapped Felicia's shoulder.

"Hey, where are we? And what's with them?"

"We are in Illuminus, the Royal City. Sorry it doesn't look like much. And don't mind them yet."

Aaron sat back and contemplated what Felicia told dinky village was suppose to be a Royal City? It would make since with the castle being this close to civilians, but there was nothing "royal" about this place. He was confused, but he merely kept with Felicia and Rue. Once they made it to the village square, Rue stopped his horse and dismounted. Felicia did the same and helped Aaron down as well. He was now looking at the large crowd of people who couldn't take their eyes off him. A moment of silence passed over the village before Rue walked forward. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Good citizens of Illuminus, I, Rue Midou, would like to give my personal thanks to all of you for being so strong in this time of crisis. We've faced immoral dangers and perils, and while the reconstruction of the castle is finally complete, we do realize that the once beautiful city of Illuminus has yet to be rebuilt. But, rejoice! For this Age of Darkness has finally ended. The Darkness that came here to rip apart our hopes and dreams for a future will no longer plague us. Why, you ask? Because we now have our Leader. The true heir of Illumina, and the soon-to-be-King of the Astral Realm. The last time he was seen, he was a boy at the tender age of 6 years old. But after 13 long, hard years, he has finally come home to the Astral Realm. Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls. I present to you: Prince Leon!"

Rue and Felicia parted to the side to let the people fully view Aaron. Nothing but silence swept over the villagers. Some of them had started to whisper to each other and talk amongst themselves. Aaron, on the other hand, just stood there dumbfounded by what was going on. He didn't know if he should hide or try and interact with these people. And then there was this whole "Prince Leon" business. He figured that this joke had gone on long enough. But before he could address his Guardians about their speech, a random voice emerged from within the sea of villagers.

"Ey! Rue and Felicia! You say that boy is the real Prince Leon. How do we know it's him and not another fake!"

All at once the residents of Illuminus came alive, each one with their own concern. In the past, several young men had appeared within the royal city, claiming to be the long-lost Prince. Only to fail the "trials" that Rue presented to them. In fact, news of the Prince returning discouraged the people more than encouraged them. But Rue and Felicia had the utmost faith in Aaron. They knew he was the real Prince, and had been waiting for 13 years to bring him back to the Astral Realm. Rue held up his hand and waited until the crowd had fallen silent.

"Citizens, please. I know there have been some impostors in the past, but I assure you. This is the true heir to the Illumina Throne. And the proof is right here."

Without any waring, Felicia and Rue grabbed Aaron and spun him around, turning his back to the people.

"What the? Hey! What gives!"

Without speaking, they lifted up his shirt to expose his back. Right in the middle, the same insignia that was on Rue's armored arm was imprinted on his back. The villagers all gasped and silence once again filled the area. Once Rue saw that he had gained their attention, he nodded to Felicia to take over. She cleared her throat and spoke up.

"As you can see," she began. "the insignia on his back is the true mark of Illumina. Only Light's true descendant has this symbol tattooed on their body. This is Prince Leon."

No one else dared challenge the legitimacy after that. It's true that all of the descendants of Light had that mark on their body. It served as proof that they belonged on the throne. Aaron was no different. But the villagers not only believed that this was their chosen champion, but that their time of suffering was indeed over. Aaron wiggled out of Rue and Felicia's grip, turning to them with a glare.

"Hey! What did you just show them! Do I have a tattoo now or something!"

He tried reaching it, but to no avail. When he focused his eyes forward, he was in for another surprise. Like he hadn't had enough of those. All of the villagers, every single one, were now bowing down to him. Their faces touch the dirt and gravel as they were showing their deepest gratitude for his return. Aaron was stuck. He didn't know why they were bowing to him. He then grit his teeth and looked at Rue, tired of being confused and left out of what was happening.

"And why are they bowing to me? Tell them to get up."

Felicia stepped out of Aaron's shadow and spoke to him, trying to give him some insight into what was going on.

"These are loyal citizens, Prince Leon. The only one that can command them is you."

Aaron looked at Felicia and thought about it. In truth, she was right. They were peasants and of course, they held deep respect for the Nobility and Royalty of this land. Especially seeing as either power were not trying to abuse them in these dark times. Aaron cleared his throat and stepped forward to the sea of bowing heads.

"Er...Um, arise e-everyone."

The villagers all stood up and started to cheer him. They all clapped and shouted and yelled just from his presence. The boy didn't even give a speech, and his followers already felt safe in his presence.

"Hooray for the return of the Prince!"

"Long live Illumina!"

"The Nexos Kingdom will fall!"

This particular cheered fired up the crowd more than anything. Rue and Felicia watched on with smiles while Aaron just watched the villagers enjoy themselves. It was then that the cheer found its way to Aaron's brain. He analyzed it and got curious. What was the Nexos Kingdom? And why would it fall now that he had "returned"? He sighed as the constant confusion was starting to get to him. But before he could ask the question, Rue approached him while carrying a book. He could see the confusion all over Aaron's face and nodded before looking to Felicia.

"Felicia, you stay here and observe the citizens. I'll take over from here."

"Got it." she answered.

Rue nodded and looked at Aaron.

"Prince Leon, please follow me. We have much to discuss."

He turned on his heel and started walking towards a vacant house. Aaron followed suit and walked behind him, his eyes still mesmerized by the insignia on his cape. Once they got inside, Rue escorted Aaron to the table and chairs that were awaiting them. The whole house was old and abandoned. Light from the sun shined inside the house, lighting a path for Aaron to follow. He fumbled around until he reached the chair. Rue came by and joined him, putting his book on the table. He then looked at Aaron, concern and kindness being the elements involved in his gaze.

"Since you lost your memory, I take it that you are confused with everything that's happening. Right, Prince?"

Aaron cleared his throat and nodded.

"Yeah. It's just that...all of these terms seem familiar, but at the same time totally foreign. Illumina, the Astral Realm, Nexos. Oh, what is Nexos by the way?"

Rue smiled as he looked at Aaron. He could see that maybe, just maybe, his true memories were breaking to the surface. That everything would become clear with a little push. He placed the book on the table and nodded.

"Very well. The best place to start to clarify things is from the beginning. So let's examine it, shall we?"

Aaron nodded to what Rue said. He was tired of being left out of the loop and some clarification would do him some good. Rue cleared his throat and opened the book as he began his explanation.

"Now, I believe that you're already acquainted with the world known as Earth, correct?"

Aaron nodded to this question.

"Well," Rue began. "when that world was created eons ago, the Astral Realm was also created. This world is paralleled to that of Earth. Two worlds existing in the same space, but on different planes. We've lived side by side with Earth for many generations without crossing our borders. In the beginning stages that the Astral Realm was taking form, two Masters were born. They were Light and Dark. Both men, practically brothers, help shaped the Astral Realm into the place that is today. They stood by each for centuries here, until Dark began to lust for more power and control. Light tried his best to get his friend back, but it was no use. Dark eventually created the Nexos Kingdom, comprised of a wide majority of his followers in an attempt to control the entire Astral Realm."

Aaron sat back listened to the history that Rue spoke of. He was onboard with everything for the most part, but he was curious as to how this thing ended.

"Did...did he win?" he asked?

Rue smiled before closing the book and looking at him.

"It was a chaotic battle, but Light defeated Dark with his own army. They would eventually go on and call themselves the Illumina Kingdom."

He then stood up and placed a hand on the book.

"That was the first war ever to occur in the Astral Realm. After the battle, Light went on to be crowned King of the entire Astral Realm. He ruled for many years, but when he was on his death bed, a spell was placed on him. Instead of getting his family members to be on the throne, it was said that when an infant was brought into the world and carried the Coat of Arms of the Illumina Kingdom on his body, that he was the descendant of Light and the new Prince of the Illumina Kingdom. However, the same spell has been used on Dark's body and now his descendants have arrived as well. So now the descendants of both masters battle each other with the Astral Realm as the prize for victory. A never-ending conflict of Light versus Dark, it seems."

Rue paused for a second to see if Aaron was following him. When saw that the boy was listening, he continued.

"Many of your predecessors have all fought to become King. Some have triumphed, while others have fallen. But now the fate of the Astral Realm rests on you, Prince Leon."

At the mention of that, Aaron came alive.

"What? No way, man!" He stood up to meet Rue eye to eye. The knight saw that he was refusing and tried to reason with him.

"But Prince Leon-"

"No buts! I'm not a Prince, and I don't know the first thing about fighting in some war! This whole thing is just insane!"

"But if you don't defeat Tybalt and become King, the Astral Realm will fall into everlasting Darkness." Rue protested. "And all of villagers would become nothing but slaves and targets."

Aaron got quiet when heard Rue say such things. If he didn't defend them, they would be just like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. That was beyond horrible to him. He grit his teeth as he looked down at the floor. Why was he their key to survival? He never asked for this, so why? Rue saw that he was at war with himself. He cleared his throat and continued, positive that Aaron wanted to know who his opponent was.

"In case you were wondering Prince, Tybalt Drevous is the prince of the Nexos Kingdom. Like his predecessors, he only wants power and control and he doesn't care about who he has to destroy or the lives that he ruined to get it. While you were sleeping for thirteen years, he went on a massive offensive and conquered many parts of the Astral Realm. Even small kingdoms and areas that swore their loyalty to Illumina have been taken over. This ruined city not only serves as a home to its citizens, but also as a safe haven for people that we were able to save from his control."

Aaron was about to say something when something got his attention. Rue just said that he had been sleeping for thirteen years. Sleeping? What on earth did he mean by that? Aaron decided to address that statement.

"What," he began. "what do you mean that I was sleeping for thirteen years?"

Rue sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He truly let that one slip out, but he figured that he should tell him everything. Maybe this would compel him to stay and fight. At least...he hoped.

"Prince Leon, you may not believe me, but you were not born on Earth. You were born here, in the Astral Realm. When you were born, you had the insignia on your back and you were taken to the castle to be raised as the Prince of Illumina. Felicia and I started training you when you six years of age. That's how we know you so well. During your boyhood, however, the Nexos Kingdom did something that no one saw coming. As the new battle for the Astral Realm was going to be put in place, the Nexos launched a massive ambush against Illumina and the Royal City of Illuminus. We...didn't see it coming. Thousands of lives were lost and the castle was throughly demolished. But in all of the chaos, Felicia and I thought that you had perished as well. It wasn't until the council members told us differently. Apparently during the ambush, you had your first encounter with Tybalt. He's two years your senior, so he had more experience than you did. He defeated you in combat and was about to claim your life until you awakened your power. Your Spiritual Pressure, the aura that surrounded you, was so strong that it scarred Tybalt's left arm. That was the only thing that made the Nexos retreat from their attack. However, your attacked released so much energy that your body couldn't withstand bring in the Astral Realm. You disintegrated and was reborn on Earth. This resulted in your human persona, Aaron Hideku, being born. This strange phenomenon has also erased all of the memories you had of the Astral Realm."

Rue looked at Aaron after he was done saying all of that. The look on Aaron's face was blank. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung was just no way. That couldn't be correct. Did this mean that Aaron's life on Earth was a lie? That his friends and family were merely an illusion? That he really belonged to this world and not the world he called home? Rue wasn't thinking about these questions. He just continued on, assuming Aaron would follow.

"While you were living on Earth all this time, Tybalt seized the chance to claim the Astral Realm for himself without any opposition. The citizens were about to give up hope...but now you've returned. You can give them hope once more. You can defeat Tybalt and bring peace back to the Astral Realm. And Felicia and I will right by your side. Every step of the way."

Rue approached Aaron, who was still trying to digest the information that he was just given, and hugged him. Rue saw the prince as something more than just a royal and Illumina's Champion. The two had developed the bond of teacher and student. He missed him, pure and simple. But Aaron was not ready to accept what Rue had told him. He put his hands up and pushed Rue away from him, shaking his head.

"No..."

Rue looked confused as he saw him.

"Prince Leon, I-"

"No no no no no! That's it! I'm not your prince! My name is Aaron Hideku, I come from Earth, and this is all a dream! There's no way that I'm suppose to be fighting in some war that will decide some planet's fate! I'm...I'm just thirteen years old. What the hell do I know about war, huh! This isn't real, you're not real, and I just want to wake up from this dream! I want to be with my friends and family again! I wanna go home!"

Tears had actually started to form in the boy's eyes. He was confused and scared. He didn't understand what was going on, and he just wanted it all to end. Rue could see that. It wasn't that Rue didn't think that Aaron would be skeptical of the whole thing, but he wanted him to at least consider it. The knight's heart broke a little when Aaron declared that he wanted to go home, not believing that where he was was his home. He sighed and nodded.

"Alright, Prince," Rue said. "I'll send you back to Earth."

He opened the book once more and pulled out a ring that was embedded on the page. The ring was gold with a purple stone in the center. Within the stone was Coat of Arms of the Illumina Kingdom. He pointed the ring at a space in the room.

"Gate To Earth, Open!"

At once, the golden gates that appeared in Aaron's room appeared again. Aaron watched as the gate slide open, revealing the bright light inside. Rue then took the ring and placed it on Aaron's finger.

"With this, you'll be able to pass through safely. Now go."

Aaron looked at Rue before running right into the light. He was going farther and farther inside, the light getting brighter and brighter before he blacked out again...

Suddenly, Aaron's eyes popped open and he sat up straight in his bed. His breathing was heavy and cold sweat was all over his body. He looked around saw that he was back in his room. He cut on his lamp and grabbed a mirror. His hair was back to being brown, as well as his eyes. He started to calm down and breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's over...Thank God that was just a dream."

He cut off the light and fell back in his pillow. Pretty soon, he was fast asleep with no worries whatsoever.

Elsewhere, Felicia walked into the house that Rue and Aaron were in. A smile was on the purplette's face as she found her fellow Guardian.

"Man, those villagers are a joy. They really are excited for the Prince's return."

It was then that she noticed that Aaron wasn't in the room with Rue. She stopped and looked around.

"Speaking of which, where is he?"

Rue sighed before replying quietly.

"He left."

"He left? What do you mean, Rue?"

"I told him everything. The history of the Astral Realm, and the truth behind his birth. He refuses to believe that any of that is real. He wanted to go back to Earth, so I took him there."

Felicia's mouth dropped. Silence enveloped the room before she spoke up.

"So... he doesn't believe any of it?"

"It appears that way."

"Then what are we going to do, Rue? The people of this kingdom expect to see their Champion bring them out of this Darkness! If they find out that he left them high and dry, Illumina will fall!"

"That is exactly why they can not learn of this. We mustn't lose heart, Felicia. We have to convince Prince Leon that what we say is the truth. And we must hurry. I fear that the Nexos may have already sent their assassin after him."

Felicia nodded her head at the news.

"If that's the case, it really is a race against time. But if the Prince doesn't believe us..."

"...He'll believe the assassin. Come, Felicia; we have much to prepare."

The two knights hurried out of the house and back toward to the castle.

**A/N: And done! Phew, this has to be the longest chapter I've written for the story thus far. I'm terribly sorry for it being this late, but hopefully the length of the chapter is enough to make up for it. A lot of time and work went into this chapter, as you can see, and it's only going to get better from here on out. So please R and R. Please! I swear, I need the feedback. Thank you all for being patient with me, and see you all on Chapter 4. I promise it won't take as long to write. XD**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone. I hope you guys are having a great summer because I surely am. Still jobless, but I'm having fun with life. I'm also having fun with coming up with new ides for Astral, and I have a few surprises in store for you guys. 217 hits is awesome to have. But please review as well! It means a lot to me. Don't believe me? Ask Kitsune'sBlackBloodRose! She's practically my biggest fan XD. Alright, enough jokes. Time to get to action that awaits in this next chapter.**

Chapter 4- _Closing In_

The unbelievable night soon passed over into daylight. The birds chirped and sang outside of Aaron's window while the sun's rays broke out from behind the clouds. The brunette stirred and woke up from his deep sleep. He yawned and stretched before sitting up in his bed.

"That was a good sleep. But man...I had the most realistic dream ever..."

That's when he recalled the events that happened last night. Felicia and Rue appearing in his room, him being taken to a place called the Astral Realm, and he supposedly being the Savior of a dying kingdom. All he could do was sigh and shake his head. He was just glad that it was a dream; not real at all. He pulled back the covers and walked to the bathroom. The rest of the house was quiet except for the kitchen, where Aaron's mom was cooking breakfast. He always got up before his dad and sister so he could take his time getting ready for school. He went inside the bathroom and began brushing his teeth. He looked at himself as he brushed, making sure he was getting all of them...when something caught his eye.

"Huh?"

He stopped brushing and looked at his right hand. He turned it over so that his palm was facing down, and nearly choked on the spit that was accumulating in his mouth. On his hand was a gold ring with a purple stone in the center. And within the stone was a symbol of shield traced in gold with two swords in an "X" formation and a lone, white wing emblazed on the shield. In other words, the Coat of Arms of the Illumina Kingdom. This was the exact same ring that Rue gave him right before he left the Astral Realm. Aaron spit into the sink and continued to look at the ring with a mixed expression of shock and horror.

"So...that means...everything that happened...was real..?"

Unfortunately, Aaron didn't have much time to dwell on the ring. Suddenly, knocks came from the bathroom door.

"Hello? Anyone in there?"

It was Anna. Aaron snapped out of his cold stare and responded, or at least tried to.

"Uh...yeah, Anna. I-it's me."

"Well hurry it up, will ya? I have to shower and wash my hair."

"Y-yeah, okay."

Aaron finished up his business in the bathroom and sped out in a hurry, leaving Anna practically spinning.

"Wonder what that was about? Must've gotten his first chest hair or something."

She went into the bathroom while Aaron was back on his bed. His eyes were wide as he stared at the ring on his finger. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming, but this was real. He then grabbed the ring and pulled it off his finger. He could feel the texture of the ring and felt that it was real.

_I...I could throw it away! But...what would that change? Nothing..._

He looked around his room, memories of him receiving the various objects flashed before his eyes as they started to water.

_So this...isn't really my life?_

A knock at his door made him lose his train of thought.

"Aaron, you should hurry and eat breakfast before you're late for school."

That was the voice of his mother. The woman who gave birth to him and raised him for 13 years...or was it? Aaron didn't know what to believe. The life he lived for so long was crashing around him like glass, and he couldn't stop it. He slid the ring back on his finger and got dressed for school. Once he was ready, he walked downstairs for breakfast. Each step he took felt like weights were around his ankles, making his steps slower than normal. Once he got downstairs, he looked at his family in the kitchen. They were all interacting and talking like every other morning. But this was the first in his life that their faces felt so foreign to him. He took a breath and walked into the kitchen, trying to put on a front as best he could.

"Hey Family," he started. "sorry I'm late."

His father smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Up too late with homework, Champ?"

"Yeah...something like that."

He sat down and started eating breakfast. It was strange how flavorless his mother's cooking was today. He ate very little as he got up, looking at the clock.

"I should go...bye everyone."

He grabbed his backpack and started walking towards the door when a voice caught him.

"Aaron, wait."

He turned around to see his mother standing there.

"You aren't going to take your skateboard?"

"No. I don't have time today. Or rather...I just don't feel like riding today..."

"I see. Honey, is everything alright? You seem...different this morning."

Aaron realized that his mother was the only one that knew when he was unhappy, no matter how well he tried to hide it. He shook his head as he stepped outside.

"Nothing. Just tired is all."

She sighed and nodded, buying the excuse for now.

"I see. Well, have a good day. I love you."

He stopped when heard that. Those three, simple words. He bit his lower lip as he tried to stop the tears that were forming again. He simply nodded his head and ran off. He continued to run until his stamina was all gone. He bent over, hands on his knees as he breathed heavily. He hated his situation. None of this was making sense to him. If this was really the truth, if he really didn't belong in this world, then why now? Why did he have to learn this now? It was hard trying to accept this truth, and now he was stuck in it. He felt like screaming. Letting out this build-up of intense emotion that was bearing in his soul. But he didn't have time to for that. School would be starting soon. He wiped his face and took a deep breath before resuming his walk, his mind filled with answerless questions.

Once he got to school, his mood and attitude didn't change in the slightest. While he was in his geometry class, the teacher was reciting a math problem and looked around for an answer to the question. Instantly, Jack had his hand raised.

"Oh! Oh! Pick me, I know it!"

The teacher smiled at his enthusiasm, but chose Aaron instead.

"Mr. Hideku, would you care to answer the question?"

Silence came from Aaron. He was staring ahead, straight at the board. But no words came out of his mouth. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Mr. Hideku?"

Nothing was said. Jack and Monica both looked at their zoned-out friend as he just sat there. Hardly blinking as his mind dwelled on the information he was given last night. It wasn't until someone dropped a book from their desk did Aaron rejoined the living world. He looked around, startled to see that everyone was looking at him.

"Huh? Wh-what?"

"The question on the board, Mr. Hideku. Care to answer?"

Aaron was so lost that he couldn't even comprehend the question. He shook his head as he looked down, speaking above a whisper.

"Sorry, Mrs. Hunter. I don't know the answer..."

She sighed, pushing up her glasses and chose Jack, who answered the question and kept the class going. It was like this in all his other classes as well. Aaron was so focused on everything that happened last night, that this "life" of his started to lose importance. Jack and Monica were worried about him, so once the last bell rang, they decided to find out what was wrong with their friend. They found him walking slowly across the school grounds.

"Yo, Aaron!" Jack called out. "Wait up!"

Aaron slowed his pace when he heard his name. He saw his friends closing in on him and for the first time on his life, he was lost at what he should do. They were his friends, childhood buddies who had formed a strong bond. But now that this life wasn't his real life, what should he do? Should he still embrace them as his friends, or push them away? He didn't have much time to think as they were soon in front of him. Monica brushed a strand of hair from her face as looked at him.

"Hey. You were really spacy today, Aaron. Is everything alright?"

Concern laced her voice as she spoke. Aaron didn't know what he was going to do, but he opted not to tell them. It took for him to get solid evidence to believe what he was told. It would just be too far-fetched for them to understand. He took a deep breath and put on the most realistic smile he could.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just tired. Had a lot of homework to do last night."

Jack laughed as he threw his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"You worked on your birthday? Man, you need to take it easy. Had us worried for a second."

Aaron could only smile at this. Even though he came from another world, the bonds he formed with his friends were unbreakable. Nothing could break that. Truly getting happy, he then spoke once more.

"So, my official birthday party is tonight. You guys gonna come?"

Jack and Monica both exchanged looks as Jack walked over to her.

"I can't come," Monica said. "My mom's got a few clients at the garage and she needs my help."

"As for me," Jack chimed in. "Dad's coming in from a business trip and he wants to hang out before he's called away again."

The smile on Aaron's face faded when he learned that his best friends weren't going to be at his party. It sucked because they were really the only people he knew at school. He knew the names of his classmates, but he never really got to know them and make more friends outside of Jack and Monica. He sighed and nodded his head.

"Oh...Well, alright. You both have important things to do...no worries."

"But!" Monica said. "In light of not being able to attend your party, I decided to bring your present!"

She walked behind one of the tables in the courtyard and pulled out a new skateboard. The item was crafted with different parts of spare scrap metal. It shined and gleamed in the sunlight as Aaron held it. He smiled as he tucked the board under his arm.

"Thanks, Monica. It looks awesome."

"It rides even better. I sorta tested it out."

She smiled as Jack clapped and stepped forward.

"Very impressive, Gear Head. But not as impressive as my gift. Here's to you pal."

Jack then pulled out a small box from his bag. He took off the lid and inside the box were two brand new drumsticks. Aaron smirked as he took them and raised his eyebrow at his friend.

"New sticks, Jack?"

"Yep," Jack said proudly. "Cut from the finest tree. The best money can buy."

This caused Aaron to chuckle which soon turned into a laugh. His first real one since the discovery he made yesterday. He desperately needed that laugh. This in turn caused Jack and Monica to laugh as well. Aaron calmed down and nodded at Jack.

"Thanks, man. They are nice-looking. Can't wait to try em' out."

"I expect to see you use them in practice."

Aaron chuckled as he nodded again. Monica re shouldered her bag as she began to walk off.

"Well, I have to be going. You know how my mom can get if I'm late."

Jack and Aaron shuddered a bit at the mention of Monica's mother's temper. She was a sweet lady, but she definitely had her mean streak. The blonde waved to her friends as she disappeared down the block. Not much later did Jack's limo pull up at the school gates. He grabbed his things and looked at Aaron.

"Bruce is here. Care for a ride this time? C'mon, my treat."

Aaron shook his head as he put the drumsticks in his bag.

"Nah, you go on ahead. I have to stop by the store on the way home anyway."

Jack sighed a little, but respected his friend's wishes.

"Alright. Your call. See you later, and enjoy your party!"

The two boys bumped fists and Jack walked away; getting into the vehicle and pulling off. Aaron smiled as he watched him pull off. He then put both of his gifts on the ground to get a better look at them. They weren't super extravagant, but they both meant the world to him. It showed that these people he called friends actually cared about him. Even if he didn't belong in there world in the first place. That his being here was actually a misunderstanding. He knew that he belonged to the Astral Realm, but this world was all that he's ever known. He could live here and be his own person. Be surrounded by the people who loved him. That's when he came to his conclusion.

_I know. I know that I don't belong here. But, to me...this is home. This is my life. And Jack and Monica are my friends. And...nothing will ever change that. I know that Rue and Felicia were just doing their jobs as my Guardians or whatever. But when I see them again, I'll tell them I'm not coming back. I'm staying on Earth and that's that._

With his mind made up, Aaron put the drumsticks in his bag and was about to ride his new skateboard out of the grounds when something stopped him. A dark presence washed over his body, making it hard to move. Hard to even breathe.

_W-what..?_

He slowly turned around and gasped as his widened. A few paces behind him stood a man wearing a blue-hooded cloak. This was the same mysterious figure that was in his dream and that he bumped into yesterday. Ever since he had that dream, it seemed that this guy was stalking him. Aaron bit his lip as he turned around fully to face him.

_That guy...he's from that dream I had...but why? Why is he here?_

The figure stood there as the wind blew an ominous breeze through the courtyard. No one else was around, and the sun had started to get lower in the sky. It was just these two. Suddenly, the figure spoke.

"Are you Prince Leon?"

Aaron's eyes grew wider once more. This figure knew about the Astral Realm and knew that he was the prince of Illumina. Slowly, he was starting to piece it all together. His body shook as he started walking backwards from the man.

"A-and what if I-I am?"

Suddenly, the figure lunged for the scared boy with a knife in hand.

"Then you must die!"

Aaron was frozen in time as the man got closer. This time, it wasn't a dream. This was really happening. At the last second, he managed to push down his fear and avoid the blade. He jumped to his right side as far as he could before hitting the ground. He then scrambled to feet and made a mad dash out of the gates. The figure saw that his prey was getting away, but he wasn't going to let that happen for long. Tightly gripping his weapon, the figure then ran after Aaron with impressive speed. Aaron ran hard, running as fast he could. He decided to check behind him, but that only increased the fear in his heart as he saw that his pursuer was catching up with him.

_Damn! What do I do? What do I do!?_

He then looked down at the skateboard that was tucked under his arm. He tossed the board ahead on him and jumped on it, kicking off as much as he could to gain speed. There was a good amount of distance between them, but the figure was still hot on his tail.

_Crap! Now what!?_

It was then that Aaron noticed that there chase had lead them into the city. People were bustling to and from places all over. Surely someone would him knowing that Aaron was being chased by some strange looking man. He gathered a large enough breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Outta the way! Some strange guy is trying to kill me! Help!"

People all over were startled by the sudden scream as they parted the sidewalk for the him. But no one saw a person chasing after Aaron. All they saw was him on skateboard that looked to be going out of control. Aaron looked at them as he passed by, seeing the confused look on their faces.

What's wrong with them? They act like they can't see that I'm being chased!

That's when the idea came across his mind. Could they even see him? With the figure being from another world, was it possible to see him if a person was from this world? Unfortunately, Aaron didn't have long to think about this. He suddenly felt a tremendous increase in his speed. That's when he realized that he was going downhill. He had lost the figure, but now he was going to fast too stop.

"Oh no..."

To make matters worse, one of his front wheels popped off and nearly struck his face. Losing his balance, he flew off the board and soared through the air before landing on his back in an empty parking lot. Aaron groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head from the fall.

"Ah...note to self: Tell Monica that the board needs work."

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. He turned around to see figure standing a few paces behind him. His arms were crossed and he chuckled as he looked at his downed target.

" You know, for a Prince, you're not exactly all that 'brave'."

Aaron slowly got to his feet as well as picking up the board. The figure uncrossed his arms and held the knife once more.

"Time to end this."

In a flash, he had closed the distance between him and Aaron and went for the stab. But was surprised when he saw that he didn't stab Aaron. The boy had used his metal skateboard as a shield against the knife.

"What?"

Aaron took advantage of the stall and pushed the figure down while he was stunned. Leaving the skateboard, he grabbed his bag and ran once more, heading for home this time. The figure grit his teeth as he tore the board to pieces.. He then stood up and brushed his clothes off.

"Well, that was more than what I bargained for. The brat is actually pretty smart when he's scared to death. But don't worry, Lord Tybalt. Prince Leon will die. Tonight."

The figure then disappeared, leaving the lot as empty as it was before.

**A/N: And that concludes Chapter 4. Not as long as Chapter 3, but certainly long filled with plenty of awesome material. I'm excited because, even though I'm leaking information, the next chapter will the first battle of the series! Yay! I'm going to try my had at detailing an epic fight, so Reviews will be helpful. On another note, school has started up for me, so updates will be a bit slowed. But there will be more updates, so don't worry. As always R and R and prepare for Chapter 5.**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey everyone, I'm baaaack! XD I hope everyone is doing well around this holiday time of year. Let me take the time to say that I'm extremely sorry for not being able to update Astral. I've been really busy with school, but I'm happy to report that I'm on Winter Break and I've got some free time to do some much needed updating, for the story is far from over. I've been checking in every so often and I'm stoked that Astral has 310 hits thus far. Hopefully you guys are really enjoying my material. As always though, please send a review my way to let me know how I'm doing. Now without further ado, let's get back to the action at hand.**

_Chapter 5_- Awakening

The sun had been setting below the horizon for an hour before it completely sank with the moon rising in its place. The sky was steadily getting dark, and the streets lamps had began to turn on. Under one particular lamp was a very tired Aaron. He was sweating profusely and breathing hard as he sat on the curb. He checked his watch and saw that it was approaching 7:00 pm. He had gotten out of school at 3, so he had a 4-hour gap that he would have to explain to his parents who had been calling his cellphone constantly. He would have picked up, but he was far too busy running for his life. A figure in a light-blue hooded cloak was after him. He was going to kill Aaron because he was the prince of the Illumina Kingdom. The tired brunette had no idea where the attacker was, seeing as how he fled as fast as he could from that empty parking lot. He then continued to run all over town to confuse him before heading home. 4 hours of running. It was a shame he wasn't on the track team.

After regaining some of his strength, he decided to keep moving. He checked his surroundings while under the streetlight before he pressed on. His pace was a slight jog as he crossed the street. It was something of an eerie night tonight. On this road in particular, there were no cars on the street. No lights on in the houses. It was almost as if Aaron was completely alone.

_I wonder where everyone is at?_

He didn't worry about it for long because he spotted a good sign. The street sign on the edge of the corner was his address. The boy was almost home. Looking around, he recognized the houses on the block and knew exactly how far he was. Feeling the hope well up inside him, he made another made dash for his house. In no time, he was only five houses away from his own.

Yes! Almost there!

Suddenly, a dagger tore the air and cut the brunette across his cheek before landing behind him. Aaron's legs locked up when felt the slash on his face and blood begin to pool at the wound.

"No..."

To his horror, the assassin stepped out from the shadows in front of Aaron. This man was all that stood in his way in his quest to reach home. His eyes widened as he stared at his attacker.

"You...how did you-"

"How did I get here before you? I don't know. Maybe I'm just that fast."

The figure then quickly closed the distance between them and his fist connected with Aaron's face, sending the brunette to the ground. He tried to get to his feet, but the figure was already there to stop him. He grabbed Aaron's neck with a tight grip, and threw him into street. He then walked over to his dagger, picking it up off the ground.

"This is so sad," the assassin said in a mocking tone. "You spent all of your energy running, and now you have none to fight me."

It was true. Aaron had no more strength to make a decent break for it, let alone defend himself. But he couldn't just give up. His life was on the line. He got to his feet and tried to run, but he was only met with a kick to his face that seemed to come out of nowhere. The brunette was dazed as blood began to run down the side of his face.

"Ugh!"

The figure then grabbed his throat and brought Aaron in close.

"Ah-ah-ah. You're not going anywhere."

The assassin then continued his steady torture on the boy. His punches and kicks were met with no retaliation as Aaron was just being hit over and over. After the figure connected with a strong haymaker, he looked at the body of the brunette. He was lying the street, face down, beaten and bloodied. He sighed as he began to stalk his prey like an animal in the wild.

"I must say, I'm rather disappointed at how this turned out," he said. "When I was commissioned by Lord Tybalt to kill you, I expected a challenge like no other. Not everyday an assassin like me gets the chance to hunt down a Royal."

He then stopped in front of Aaron as he tried to get to his feet. But it was useless. The boy couldn't make out 2 + 2, let alone escape. He choked on tears and blood as he tried to make it to his feet, but he couldn't. The assassin sighed as he placed his hands on hips.

"But instead of a challenge, I find a scared little boy. Not some savior of the Illumina Kingdom. Tybalt had nothing to worry about it. So I'll put an end to all of the hype around you right now."

Aaron managed to lift his head and see him tighten the grip on his dagger. But then something else happened. A slight blue aura surrounded the dagger and it...grew. The dagger became as large and as wide as a machete. The boy looked at the weapon in disbelief as the assassin smirked a sinister grin.

"Like it?" he asked while twirling the blade around with his fingers. "This is my Zanpakuto's ability. It reacts to my Spiritual Pressure by changing its shape and size."

Aaron's facial expression just stayed the same as the smug figure explained his technique. But the brunette didn't understand any of it. It sounded like nonsense to him.

_Zanpakuto? Spiritual Pressure? What the hell is this guy talking about?_

The assassin wasn't going to explain twice. He was ready to put an end to his mission. He raised the machete high into the air and spoke barely above a whisper.

"Good night, sweet prince."

Aaron's heart stopped as he watched the blade draw closer to his face. His eyes streamed tears while his nose and mouth leaked blood on the street. His life was flashing before his eyes while the machete seemed to be moving in slow motion.

_I...I'm scared...I don't wanna die! Please...someone help me...Please!_

"Someone save me!"

In response to Aaron's plea, the assassin was knocked across the street, through a streetlamp, and landed in someone's front yard. Aaron was confused at the sudden save. Who was it that saved him? He thought that no one could see the attacker, so how was he spared? His questions were put to rest when a familiar green-haired man stepped in front of him.

"That's as far as you go."

It was Rue Midou, Captain of the Royal Knights of Illumina and his Guardian. The brunette was never happier to see the man in his short time of knowing him. Following behind his entry was Felicia. She landed next to Aaron and picked him off the ground.

"Forgive our slowness, Prince Leon. But we're here now."

He just looked at her with tears in his eyes and crumbling smile on his lips. Even though he turned them away, they willingly jumped into this battle to protect him. Maybe they weren't so bad after all.

The assassin picked himself up and brushed the dirt off his cloak before he addressed the person who rudely interrupted his job.

"Well well, if it isn't the Prince's babysitters. You know, I was beginning to wonder when you were going to show up?"

Rue glared at the man as he placed a hand on his sword that was sheathed by his side.

"Your fellow assassins tried to keep us busy in the Astral Realm, but we're here now. And we won't let you harm Prince Leon any further!"

He then drew his sword and took his fighting stance. He was prepared to battle the assassin in order to protect Aaron. The brunette in question watched him with astonished eyes. He was more rude to Rue than Felicia, and yet still he would protect him.

Felicia saw that Rue was ready to throw down and retreated to the sidewalk with Aaron. Once they were safely out of harm's way, she rolled her shoulders as if they were stiff. She gave a silly smile to the brunette as she let him go.

"Excuse me for a sec, Prince. This darn thing is really heavy."

She then went to grabbing something that was attached to her back. Taking hold of it, she pulled the large object off of her back and sat it on the ground. She then rolled her shoulders once more, happy to get the weight off her.

"Much better. Alright Prince Leon, let's attend to those wounds."

She approached the battle-damaged boy and whispered something inaudible. Suddenly, her left hand began to glow in a green light as she gently touched his forehead. Slowly, his wounds began to heal up and the pain he was feeling started to melt away. Rue saw this and tightened the grip on his blade. He couldn't let the assassin get past him.

The figure in blue just shook his head at Felicia's healing.

"Darn. All that hard work wasted. Oh well, I can easily mess him up again. Maybe even worse this time. But first, you."

The blue aura returned to the machete and it grew once more to the full length of a sword. He took a stance and taunted the Captain.

"Hope you're ready!"

With no further warning, he dashed for Rue and engaged him in swordplay. Their blades crossed many times as they fought each other. The assassin was skilled in combat, but he was up against a well-accomplished swordsman.

While Felicia was tending to his wounds, Aaron's eyes were locked on the battle happening in front of him. It...intrigued him. The sound of their metal blades clashing against each other was calling out to him in a way.

"Hey, Felicia?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, Prince?"

"Can he...can Rue really win?"

Felicia smiled at him as she continued to heal his wounds.

"You have nothing to worry about. Rue is the best in the business. He'll have that nasty assassin flattened in zero tim-"

The woman's encouraging words were cut off by the sound of armor hitting the ground. They both looked over to see that a body had hit the ground defeated. That body...was Rue's.

Felicia gasped as she turned her full attention to her downed comrade.

"Rue!"

The assassin grinned as he looked her way.

"One down. One to go."

She gritted her teeth as she unsheathed her sword and ran out to fight.

"You monster!"

Their blades clashed and both were swept up in the dance of combat. Felicia's style of fighting was akin to Rue's: Sharp, precise, and accurate. But because of her slender frame, she was much faster than Rue in blade work. The assassin seemed undaunted with the fact that this woman was also the Captain of the Valkyrie Knights of the Illumina Kingdom. To him, defeating these two opponents and killing the prince would skyrocket him to a place of great recognition. He'd go down as the greatest assassin of all time for pulling this off. His reputation was at stake.

Aaron continued to watch the battle from the sidelines. He grew worried that Rue was defeated and that Felicia was now his last line of defense. He wished that he could help. That he could do something. But he was outclassed here. He knew nothing about fighting hand-to-hand, let alone using a weapon. Him running out there would only get himself killed and have Rue and Felicia protecting him for nothing.

But then he got a sudden urge to look down. His brown eyes fell to the mysterious object that Felicia pulled off her back. It was wrapped in a brown tarp, so he couldn't see what it was. He knelt down and grabbed the tarp, pulling it off to reveal what was underneath. What he saw next shocked him. Within the contents of the tarp was a weapon: A 6 foot black lance that looked like it was made for jousting. But the tip of the lance was golden. Aaron looked at the weapon as he started to remember wielding something similar to what was in front of him.

_Didn't I...yeah. In my dream!_

He lost his train of thought when a feminine scream pierce the air. Aaron looked over to see Felicia on the ground. She was bleeding from a cut over her eye and right shoulder had been stabbed, rendering that arm useless. She glared ferociously at the assassin, who took delight in seeing his enemies hurt.

"Hey, you were the one who jumped out here with no plan. And to think, I was only here to assassinate the Prince. With your deaths added to my record, the name Waboku will forever be known through out the entire Astral Realm."

The purple-haired woman gritted her teeth as she continued to glare at him while holding her shoulder.

"If you harm the Prince any further, you'll live to regret it!"

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do? You're already dead!"

He then went to strike her down in the same fashion that Aaron would have met his end: A slash right down the middle of her head. The brunette looked on, frozen in place as he watched death come closer and closer to his guardian.

_Felicia! She's in some serious danger! I have to help! But...wait. What can I do? I don't know how to fight. All I would be doing is going out there to get myself killed. I...I should run. Yeah._

Just as he was about to start running, a powerful thought surged from deep within his psyche carrying power and force he didn't even know he had.

_Will you wake the hell up?! These guys care about you! They're out here for you! They're getting hurt for you! You can't just leave them now! When you needed them, they appeared to save your life when you've done nothing to deserve such kindness. Now they need you._

He looked down at the uncovered lance as the golden tip pointed to the field of battle.

So pick it up and get in there.

Felicia stared at the sword, not losing her sense of pride as death seemed to approach. But she suddenly sensed a sharp increase of Spiritual Pressure.

What the?

Waboku sensed as well, but by the time he sensed it he couldn't stop his sword. Suddenly the assassin found himself flying through a house from a strong attack by the unknown source of power. He was laying in the middle of someone's wall before he got himself out.

"Damn! Just what was that!?"

He gathered himself up and got out of the broken home to see an astonishing sight.

Aaron stood defiantly in front of Felicia. The look in his eyes was one of power and strength. Almost like he was completely invincible. His school uniform was torn and tattered, but in his right hand he held the 6 foot lance with a tight grip. But the most amazing thing was the large blue aura that was surrounding his body as he stood there. The assassin grew nervous as the prince's power completely outclassed his own.

"Waboku, right? I'm sorry, but you're done fighting my Guardians. Your battle...is with me."

**A/N: And that is the end of Chapter 5! Whoa yeah! Heavy stuff going on now. Originally, I had planned on the chapter being much longer than that, but as I was writing, I could see that ending it here would make it all go together seeing as the chapter is titled "Awakening" Aaron is awake all right, and he's ready to mix it up with Waboku in the next chapter. So I hope this chapter makes up for the lack of updates. Think of it as a Christmas gift. ^^ So as always, read and review so I can see how well of a job I did putting this together and what I need to work on for the future. See you guys on Chapter 6 and Happy Holidays!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well...this space certainly seems empty. *Ahem* Hello people of Fanfiction! Leon is here! In a manner of speaking, of course. Anyway I do bring good news. If you're reading this, then that means that you have just stumbled upon a newly updated chapter of Astral! I know it's been ages since I updated it, but I just want you all to know that I haven't forgotten about it and I'm not ending the story prematurely. I finally found time to write and I'm going to give you die-hard fans what you've been waiting for. I've been monitoring the story's progress since the last update and I'm proud to have a story with 554 hits. Really, the attention this tale is getting is very satisfying. So thank you all for sticking with it, or checking it out while waiting for an update. This one really goes out to you guys. Now let's pick up where we left off.**

_Chapter 6 -_ The Return

The cyan eyes of Waboku burned with a type of defiance as he got to his feet and stared at the scene before him. His prey, also the Prince of Illumina, was defending his guardian and Captain of the Valkyrie Knights. At first, the brunette boy was trembling at the mere sight of the assassin. But that all changed when he got his hands around the lance he was now holding. The weapon was small in width, but was six feet in length. It was sleek, matching the color of the dark sky with an ebony style of its own and a golden point at the tip, where the damage from the weapon would come from. The assassin frowned as an unpleasant memory flashed in his head.

_Damn...Now the situation's changed. I was trying to kill him before Illumina rejoined him with his Zanpakutou. I was afraid of this. Just looking at him, I can tell that his Mana Force* clearly outclasses my own. I could die! Wait...wait a second._

The assassin boldly stepped forward while wearing a grin of confidence on his face.

"So you say that my fight is now with you, Prince? What makes you so sure that you'll be able to defeat me and get out of here alive? You were so meek and yellow a few moments ago. Now you expect me to believe that by holding a weapon for five seconds, your strength will outclass mine? I've been killing for years. You stand no chance of winning."

While Waboku's words held some truth to them, Aaron did not relent. He continued to stand in front of Felicia with the lance in his right hand. The azure aura that surged out of him earlier was now dancing around him in a calm flow. As the assassin approached, Aaron stepped forward as well. The emotion that was flowing through him discredited what the villain had said. The brunette was well aware that the level of experience was vast between them. He had never been in a fight with bare fists, let alone a battle with weapons that could kill someone. But none of that mattered to him right now. His soul was bursting with so much courage that he physically couldn't back down from the challenge. It was the first time in his life that he threw caution to the wind and hoped of the best.

"So you say," Aaron stated, "but there's only one real way to find out."

The boy settled into a fighting stance and waited for his opponent to make a move. A drop of sweat cascaded down Waboku's face as he saw that his opponent was ready to fight. While the fear of death started to invade his thoughts, the surging anger is what fueled him to raise his sword.

"Y-You little upstart! You think that...Ha...Hahahaha! Alright then, Prince! I'll play your game! This is the real deal! No going back now! Die!"

Suddenly the assassin was upon him. He raised his sword high into the air and brought it down with authority, only to have Aaron block the strike. While the two of them were locked, the prince gripped his lance tightly and swung it across his body. This effectively sent the assassin back but not for long. He easily bounced back and was headed straight for him. Until Aaron's foot met his face. The boy quickly placed the tip of the lance on the ground and got enough momentum to go through the air and kick Waboku in the face. The assassin hit the street hard, but got up once again.

"Ha! Very good, but this isn't over yet!"

He came in close with his blade but Aaron wasn't retreating. The two of them met in the middle and battled it out. Sword against lance. Because of Aaron's lack of a blade, all he could really do was defend against Waboku's attacks. But the skill of the assassin glowed in this department. Not all of the strikes were successfully blocked and blood began to pool at his cuts and stain his shirt. The assassin couldn't be happier with what he was seeing.

"Hahaha! What's the matter, Leon?!" Waboku taunted, "What happened to all that tough talk?! Are you at your limit already?!"

He ended his series of strikes with a strong slash that sent the brunette flying back. His body jarred as he bounced off the street and laid there, struggling to get to his feet.

"Prince Leon!" Felicia called out. She tried to get to him, but her own injuries were preventing her from aiding the young prince. Waboku looked at the scene and grinned. He was starting to feel silly for ever having believed that his death was at hand. He flicked his own forehead and shook his head.

"Man oh man. You almost had me goin'. But I knew that this would be the outcome. Now I'll finish this."

The assassin's body began to glow with his own Mana Force. He was raising his level of strength as high as possible in order to kill Aaron in one blow. At this point, Aaron was standing and could see that his enemy was ready to end this. He felt scared. He wanted this to all end, but his body wouldn't allow him to just lay down and die. He took a breath and gripped his lance tightly in his right hand. His eyes were transfixed on Waboku and everything else seemed to just melt into the background. Then the assassin was ready. The very ground shook with the sudden increase of power and he just stared at the boy with a look of gratitude.

"This is the end!"

He then charged forward with all his power placed into one thrust of his blade. His mind was already seeing Aaron's death. He believed that there was no way out of this dire situation. The boy was going to die with this attack. But Aaron remained unmoving. He watched as the assassin quickly closed the distance between them and got within range. That's when it happened. Once Waboku couldn't turn back, Aaron turned and pivoted on his heel to his left side. While his body was in motion, he was also bringing his lance down with an overhead strike that connected with Waboku's shoulder, shattering it upon contact. There was sickening crunch as the man hit the ground in pain. His sword was dropped and clinked away from his reach. He cursed the wind as he gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Aaaah! Aaah, you bastard! My shoulder...my damn shoulder!"

He kept his hand on his shoulder as his eyes met with Aaron's. Fear began to invade at much stronger rate. The look that Aaron was giving him made the 13-year-old boy look like the Devil himself. He stood there, covered in his own blood and wounds. His school uniform was worn and ragged. And his eyes held a terrible malice for the assassin.

Waboku's fear had sparked the ignition of desperation. The assassin wasn't ready for death and he wasn't going to let it come for him so easily. He rolled up and suddenly began to backflip away until enough distance was put in between them. He breathed heavily as the pain of his shoulder started stinging him even more.

"You...You may think you've won..but I'm not done. I can still fight. I...I can still send you to hell!"

He started waving his right hand around in the air as well as chanting at the top of his lungs.

"_Oh, Mighty Ifirit! Great Denizen of the Flame! Lend your knowledge of the burning crimson so that I may send more souls to your fiery domain!_"

His cyan eyes began to flicker red as crimson strands of energy began to form out of nothing. The immediate temperature surrounding Waboku began to skyrocket as fire started to dance around him. He grinned at Aaron, who was staring at the whole scene with disbelief.

"What-What the hell are you doing?!"

"_Say your prayers, Leon! Pyro Arte: Firaga!_"

As soon as the words passed his lips, a massive ball of fire released itself from Waboku's hand. It seared down the street, heading straight for Aaron. The brunette looked at it confused. He was baffled as to how he was going to get out of this. Until he heard a voice from behind him.

"Prince! Use the tip of the lance! It'll protect you!"

Felicia had provided useful information. With the fast approaching fireball, he didn't have time to ask her what she was talking about. He just nodded and charged forward. Lifting his lance with two hands, he held it closely as he headed straight for the attack.

"Here goes something!"

Aaron's grip tightened as he felt the heat from the flames that were headed right for him. As he charged into the inferno, a forcefield appeared from the tip of the lance and provided him protection from the magic spell. The brunette was in awe as he passed through the flames unharmed. But his wonderment was Waboku's dread. The assassin couldn't figure out how the prince took no damage from the attack.

"H-How?" he stammered, "That was my strongest spell..."

"Ha! Now you're mine!" Aaron exclaimed. His focus had been renew on his target as he closed in on him. He swung his lance and sent the assassin into the air before following after him with a powerful jump. He followed up his initial attack with three quick hits that Waboku couldn't defend himself from. Aaron then used the last hit to better reposition himself in the air. He was now directly in front of Waboku. He gripped his lance even tighter as his eyes began to glow with a blue electric hue.

"Take this!"

He then shot down with blazing speed and struck the assassin with a critical blow. The attack sent them both crashing into the street below, which caused Felicia to wince from the shockwave of the crash. When the dust settled, Aaron stood to his feet while his lance remained buried in Waboku's chest. The assassin had been defeated and the immediate crisis had been averted.

"You did it, Prince Leon! That was a great fight!" Felicia exclaimed. She then proceeded to get off the ground and walk over to him. The brunette watched her silently until something crossed his mind.

"Oh wait! Felicia, aren't you injured? You don't have to move."

The female knight held up a hand to silence him once she was standing in front of him. She then whispered something inaudible and her body glowed a soft green hue in response. Aaron remembered her doing the same thing to heal his wounds from earlier. He saw the wounds close up and disappear from her body. When the procedure was over, she just smiled at him.

"Thanks for worrying about me, Prince Leon. But I'm fine."

"As am I."

Startled, Aaron quickly turned around to see Rue standing there unscathed as well.

"Wh-what?! I thought you were dead."

"Forgive me, Prince," Rue explained, "but I only faked my defeat to Waboku in order to get you to fight. In truth, Felicia and I both could have defeated him in less time than you did."

"Yeah," Felicia chimed in, "it wouldn't have been a problem for us at all."

The brunette frown his face up at this. The only reason he jumped into the fight at all was because they were in danger. Now here they were telling him that they weren't in any real danger at all? He took a breath and crossed his arms.

"So let me get this straight. You two could have beaten him at any point and time you wanted. But instead of doing that, you let me, a thirteen-year-old boy with no experience in fighting whatsoever, risk my life to protect you when you could have protected yourselves?"

"Well," Felicia started, "when you put it that way-"

"You two are insane!" Aaron exclaimed. "What was the point of doing any of that!?"

"The point of it was to show you that the conflict between Illumina and Nexos isn't something that you can just run away from." Rue stated, "You saw here, on this night, that Tybalt knows of your existence. And he won't hesitate to send assassins, knights, or even monsters to this world to kill you. As long as you live, you carry the potential threat of halting his conquest and saving not only the Illumina kingdom, but all of the Astral Realm."

"It was wrong of us to trick you, Prince Leon. But you must understand that we can't fight this battle by ourselves. We need our leader to guide us. Rue and I would never let any real harm come to you, but know you realize that you're not just a normal person. Great power sleeps within you; you can't deny that."

"That is also the reason we withdrew ourselves from this battle," Rue continued, "it was to show you that you have amazing abilities that you can harness to defeat Tybalt. Of course, Felicia and I will train you in using them. And you must remember that you're not alone in this battle. All of Illumina's forces are at your disposal. It'll be an uphill war, but we'll be able to win with you on our side. So will you fight with us?"

Aaron was quiet as he listened to them explain the situation. He began to realize that he had been put into a grave predicament with everything that happened so far. Tybalt wanted him dead just because he _posed_ a threat. And not being in the Astral Realm wasn't going to save him from the man's wrath. He then started thinking about his family and friends. What if Tybalt tried to target them in order to get to Aaron? Would he fight back or just run away? The brunette took a deep breath before turning to his guardians.

"So...if I go the Astral Realm, I'm dead. And if I stay here and try to continued my life like everything's fine, I'm dead. No matter what I try to do, this guy is going to keep coming at me until I'm dead, right?"

"Precisely, Prince Leon."

"Then I'll do it. If the only option I have is to lead you guys and fight, then I'll fight."

"Are you sure about this?" Rue questioned, "Once you go down this path, retreating no longer becomes an option."

"You've already said that if I hide and do nothing he'll still come for me. So I'll fight. It's the only option I have left. Besides..."

Aaron's voiced trailed off as he looked at his hand A smile slowly then appeared under his shining eyes.

"...what I did to that Waboku-guy was pretty cool."

Rue smiled at his words and he and Felicia got down on one knee and bowed before him. Then they spoke in unison.

"Then it would be a prestigious honor for us to be your guardians! For the victory and honor of the Illumina Kingdom, may the light blaze through the Darkness!"

"Yeah!" Aaron joined in with a fist pump. He then turned around to retrieve his weapon, pulling it free from the corpse on the ground.

"So what's gonna happen to him?" Aaron asked.

"We'll dispose of the body, Prince," Felicia answered, "And we'll take your weapon as well. Besides, don't you have a celebration of sorts to get to?"

"Gah! You're right! I forgot all about my birthday party! I'm so late they've probably sent out the cops to find me! I gotta go!"

Before the boy could rush off, Rue clasped his hand on his shoulder and recited a quick spell that fixed his clothes. His school uniform now looked brand new. He smiled as he rejoined Felicia's side.

"Can't have you returning home looking a mess, can we? Now off you go."

"Thank you, Rue." Aaron said before heading toward his house. As he got to the front door, he was already running through his lists of excuses as to why he was late coming home.

_Let's see...uh...I...was busy getting chased by a dog! That kinda happened today. Or I...went to the mall and lost track of time playing the newest video game! That sounds like something I'd do. Oh! I went and listened to twelve albums at the music store for the band! Experimenting with different styles and junk! Yeah that's perfect!_

With his reason for being late all checked out, Aaron proceeded to enter his house. It was dark on the inside and he couldn't see much. But when he flicked on the lights, a large crowd of people emerged from nowhere and yelled surprise. The poor boy damn near had a heart attack when all these people showed up.

"Wh-what is this?" Aaron asked.

"It's your birthday party, Aaron." His mother explained, "We just thought that it would better if it were a surprise party."

"Oh...I see. Well, I do apologize for being late. You see, I was busy at the-"

"Late? What do you mean, son? It's only 9:00." his father said.

The brunette was then lost in thought. It was only 9:00? He figured a ton of time had passed when he was trying to get away from Waboku and the fight that ensued later. But then his mind remembered the magic that he witnessed today. He looked behind him and saw that Felicia and Rue were no longer standing in the street. He figured that it was them who did something to stop time. A small smile appeared on his face as he went on into the party. His guardians were indeed awesome people.

His thirteenth birthday party had a pretty nice turnout. Extended family came to visit as well as various students from school. While the brunette was eating a piece of cake, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he ended up coming face-to-face with his two best friends, Jack and Monica. He nearly choked on the cake before addressing their presence at a party they said they weren't going to be attending.

"Jack! Monica! I thought you guys weren't coming."

"Well," Jack started, "we lied! We just wanted to surprise you, man."

"Come on, did you really think we wouldn't come and hang out with you on your birthday?" Monica asked, "We'd be pretty lousy best friends if we did that."

Aaron smiled and laughed a little as he nodded. They were indeed his best friends and not even being from another world was going to change that. Jack then put his arm around Aaron's shoulder.

"Still got those new drumsticks I got ya?"

"Yeah, Jack. They're in my bag." Aaron replied.

"Good." Jack stated, "Cause you're gonna need them for the new drum set I got ya."

"What?! No way! You got me a new drum set?!"

"Heck yeah! You'll be able to slam out some nice rhythms on it when we practice."

"Hey lovebirds." Monica interjected, "Care to take this talk to the dance floor?"

The two boys just laughed and continued to enjoy the party. Elsewhere, Felicia and Rue were sitting atop a roof. The night sky made for a calm evening now that all of the action had died down. The green-haired guardian stretched out and laid on the roof, looking at the stars in the distance.

"Even though this world is very different from our own, the sky appears to be the same."

"Yeah," Felicia stated dully, "funny how it seems that way."

Rue sat up and looked at his female counterpart with a raised eyebrow.

"Is everything alright, Felicia?"

"Of course not, Rue! I'm upset about the Prince!"

"Why? He's agreed to fight with us, has he not?"

"Yeah, but in a different context. He doesn't want to save Illumina, the Astral Realm, or anybody. He just...he just wants to protect himself. And while our people need a leader to guide them, he's worried about saving his own skin."

The female knight had a very good point. Aaron may have agreed to fight, but it was for _his_ sake. Not for the sake of the Astral Realm. Rue sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before speaking.

"You do have a point, Felicia. I also noticed this behavior, but you have to see it from his point of view. He still doesn't think of the Astral Realm as his home. Just a land that's different from this one. But he's lived here for thirteen years. This place and these people are whats familiar to him. And he wants to fight to not only protect himself, but them as well. Especially after seeing that Tybalt could and would harm them to get to him."

He then turned to the woman and gave her a smile.

"Just be patient with him. As he continues to fight with us, he'll become the leader that Illumina needs. He himself needs guidance. And it's our job as his guardians to give it to him."

Felicia sighed but smiled as well.

"Alright, Rue. Let's do our best to bring the Nexos down."

"This night heralds the return of the prince. Let us celebrate elsewhere."

With a nod, the two disappeared from view and went back to their world.

**A/N: And that is it! This was a superbly long chapter! Chocked full of plot, action, character development, and everything else! It was tough to work on, but I'm glad to have it all finished up and polished off. Like an early christmas gift. So I hope guys enjoyed this chapter and I also hope that the length makes up for the lack of updates this year. I'll try to have the next chapter up real soon. Remember to always read and review. Let me know what you guys think of this one. Thanks for staying true to Astral and patiently waiting for the this chapter. See you guys on the next chapter. Oh, and one more thing.**

"Hey everyone! This is Aaron Hideku of Astral hoping that all of you guys are having a happy holiday! Spread some cheer and good will out there!"

*** Mana Force = Spiritual Pressure. Just wanted to change the terms and be a bit more original.**


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